Sash Window Repair

We are a family run, time served sash window company based in London that specialises in sash window repair and restoration of traditional sliding sash windows. We’ll provide a complete overhaul of your sash windows from a simple sash repair, to complete draught proofing systems, and new sash cords.

Most original sash windows that need replacing are made of high quality softwood and even hardwood. Eventually these windows will require sash window repair over a long period of time if maintenance isn’t kept up periodically. There is hope, a sash window neglected can still undergo rigorous sash window repair and will come out the other end useable and functional as well as being better thermally.

sash window repair before

sash window repair after

By using time tested joinery repair techniques, we can restore the wooden frames of your sash windows back to their original condition structurally. A window that’s a hundred years old will never economically look new, but it’ll certainly be far more efficient than the day it was made with quality repair and draught proofing. Draught proofing can really make a big difference on windows that rattle or let in cold breezes.

You don’t have to worry about us detracting from the look of your classic sash windows.

They’ll be the same sash windows, but in full working order and in excellent condition. We have a designated workshop where we craft wooden replicas of a sash window’s trims such as staff and parting beads.

Homeowners have been trusting us with their sash window restoration needs for over two decades and we did not earn that trust by giving subpar service. We value our clients and pride ourselves on good old fashioned honest work.

By choosing us, you’ll get one of the most reliable services pound for pound anywhere to be found. We understand that having your sash windows restored is not inexpensive but take every reasonable step to ensure you get good value for money.

Sash window repair may be considered a major upgrade, judging from the fact that it increases the comfort of your home and it makes things more eco friendly and energy efficient. That’s why having an upgrade as important as this should be left to the experts who know exactly what they’re doing.

sash window sill replacement

We hold ourselves to the highest possible standard and we’ve put the time in to make sure we meet those standards. Having your sash windows repaired or touched up will cost you more than just doing DIY fixes, but you will save you a lot more money in the long run as we will bring your windows to a point that they only need painting every five years or so.

Well maintained and up to scratch sash windows can save you money in heat retention. Properly constructed and functioning sash windows can even make your home less prone to mould growth. this is because windows that are sealed and do not vent occasionally will cause moisture saturation.

The benefits far outweigh the costs of sash window renovation. Why don’t you give us a call today? Set an appointment with us and we’ll assess the condition of your sash windows with a view to repairing rather than replacing.

From there, we’re sure we can do workout how to protect, preserve and refresh your traditional sliding sash windows.
Sash window restoration and repair.

People have been choosing to have their sash windows repaired or refurbished instead of getting them replaced for nearly three decades now. Why?

Sash windows hold a lot of historical architectural significance and add to a house or a flat’s charm if you retain its original fixtures. We lost sight of this in the 70s and early 80s installing unsafe, and dated Louvre style windows. Fortunately we are back to preservation of our properties.

sash window sill replacement

Luckily, there are councils all over London that prevent people from having the facades of their homes altered. This is to preserve some original charm and character. It’s well known the council cause upset but ultimately the regulations in place hasve preserved properties successfully to date.

That’s why sash window refurbishment has been a booming industry over the last two decades or so. There isn’t a shortage of sash window repair companies that are available to anyone in London right now.

What sets our sash window repairs in London apart?

We have been repairing sash windows for a very long time and have come across almost every sash related issue you can think of, and solved them all, be it from rocks blocking weight cavities, to beehives in the mechanism! We’ve even pulled newspaper dating back 80 years out of the frames.

We have been consistently perfecting the art of repairing and restoring original sash windows, making sure that they are in full working order while retaining their beautiful classic look. If you get in touch with us for your sash window refurbishment needs, we’ll give you an honest and detailed report of what we can do for you and will not advise replacement unless repair is uneconomical.

We renovate sash windows to make sure they are up to scratch, energy efficient, and well maintained.

Sash window renovation and refurbishment

By sash window refurbishment, we mean just about everything you can do to a sash window to improve its condition and functionality and preserving it’s elegance.

We will not change the exterior parts of your sash window because we understand that it’s important to just preserve and not change them.

We also include services like draught proofing, which will bring a lot of benefits to you and your home like better insulation and soundproofing.

There are many DIY draught proofing techniques available out there, but none of them will offer real long lasting solutions to your draught problem. They also block the frame and when painted, cause a real mess which we rectify on almost a daily basis. All it would be is just applying a patch. It’s not a long term fix for an issue.

Restoring sash windows is pretty involved mechanically. You have to understand how the internal mechanisms of a sash window work and you also have to understand how materials like wood behave under various conditions. As well as how a sash window is constructed. It’s a very labour intensive task and needs the hands of skilled and knowledgeable workers.

Not to mention, you’d need tools and materials that aren’t easily accessible to the average consumer.

By leaving the work up to us, you can rest assured that your sash window repair needs are being addressed meticulously and openly.

We value our clients very much and we are always transparent about what we can and cannot do for them. We do not overreach and tell our customers that we can restore sash windows that are beyond repair. It’s typical that we can restore around 95% of all sash windows.

Our company is known throughout London and you’ve probably seen our handy work all over town. So why not join a growing population of Londoners who have been happy and satisfied with our sash window repair services?

Call us today to find out more about what we can do for you.

A quick overview of what our sash window repair service package includes

Once you give us a call and we assess your property’s windows for repair or replacement, here are some of the things that we are most definitely going to do.

We will take every precaution to make sure that we leave your sash windows in the better shape than they’ve ever been even when they were first installed.

sash window sill replacement

1. We will replace all sash cords with brand new high quality nylon core sash cords.

What are sash cords and why is it important to replace them?

If your sash windows have gotten harder to open and close, it’s probably because the sash cords have come loose or have broken off or they’re overpainted.

You open and close sash windows through a mechanism of counterbalanced weights that are usually made of heavy cast iron. These weights and sash are held together by a sash cord.

Now, for the longest time, people have been using braided cotton to make sash cords. As you can probably tell, these are not that sturdy and they’re very prone to fraying.

A typical sash window has four sash cords. Once one of these or all of them breaks, your panes will get stuck.

They will either stay closed shut or you will have to prop up one of the panes to let some air in by using force as the weights are not counterbalancing anymore – not the really how fully functioning sash windows are supposed to be.

We use sash cords made of nylon, which is a very strong synthetic polymer that takes a very long time to wear down.
As far as materials go, nylon is one of the most lightweight and corrosion resistant weaves there is. That’s why we use this instead of the typical cotton.

2. We will check the condition of all sash window pulley wheels to make sure that they a properly balanced on the right weights and if they need replacing.

To replace all sash cords, we have to disassemble all the parts of the window frame. This will give us the chance to also inspect your sash window pulley.

The sash cord runs over the pulley that is right at the top of the window frame. That is what makes the panes slide up and down.

All these materials are very durable and you won’t have to replace your pulleys any time soon once we’ve the done the job.

3. We will replace your sash windows’ existing staff and parting beads with wooden replica beads that are carefully constructed in our workshop.

What are staff and parting beads?

A staff bead is a trim that holds the bottom sash window in place. It is attached to the inside lining of the window frame.
This is where a draught strip like strip brush is attached to make sure the sash window doesn’t let the gale in.

A parting bead is what holds the two panels in place. It is wedged between the pulley stiles and can also have a strip brush.

Why would we have to make wooden replica beads before we visit your home for sash window repairs?

We have to recreate your sash windows’ existing staff and parting beads to make sure we stick to your home’s aesthetic.

We don’t want to ruin the look of your flat or house and we definitely don’t want your windows to stand out in the wrong way.

The staff and parting beads usually need to be replaced as part of making your sash windows draught proof.

4. We will remove and replace your sash windows’ existing catches, lifts and bolts and replace with higher quality.

What’s a sash window catch?

That’s the mechanism that’s mounted on the meeting rails that is used to fasten the panels. Typically we use Brighton Fasteners.

What’s a sash window lift?

This is the pair of small handled that is used to raise the bottom sash when you open your window. This is usually made of solid brass.

What’s a sash window restriction bolt?

Also known as a sash lock, this acts as a handle as well as a lock. These are great if you want to make your sash windows child proof or you want to up the security of your home.

5. We will make sure that all windows are machined properly so that all the meeting rails line up.

What are meeting rails?

That would be the bottom rail of the top sash and the top rail of the bottom sash. That’s the point where the two sashes meet.

We’ll make sure that these are aligned and your windows are properly fitted. If this is not done properly, sash windows will rattle.

6. We will make sure that are windows are well fitted and properly planted into the pulleys styles.

Sash windows with movement will look wonky and there will be spaces between the sash and the window frames.

If your sash window frames are made of hardwood or would like to get them replaced with hardwood, we understand how wood acts in every condition.

We know how it’s going to react to weathering and ageing once it has been treated. Fitting is the most complicated part of installing a window.

Doing this correctly is a big step towards draught proofing your home and this is what we want to provide for you.

This is just a quick overview of what’s included in our sash window refurbishment package. You can learn more about what we can do for by giving us a call today.

Once you make an appointment with us and we visit your home for inspection, we’ll be able to provide you with an in depth report of improvements that we can do on your sash windows.

We move very quickly so as not to waste your time. We usually give all our sash window repair quotations on the same day that we assess the condition of your sash windows by sending you an email afterwards.

You don’t have to suffer through the next winter or hassle yourself with various DIY projects, trying to meet your sash window repair needs by yourself.

All you have to do is get in touch with us and we’ll provide you with a tried and tested service that will leave you happy and satisfied.

All about the materials we use for sash window repair, refurbishment, and replacement

If you choose to have the materials of your sash window replaced, it can be a hard decision to make when picking out the right one.

Naturally, since you’ve going for an upgrade, you want something that will increase the overall value of your home by choosing high quality materials that will last you a long time.

As experts, we recommend that you go the wooden route when it comes to sash window frames.

Yes, we offer other materials should you want your sash windows to be made of something else, but wood is the most long-lasting and it gives off a very classic vibe – particularly, hardwood.

But apart from the aesthetics, wooden sash windows are also the most energy efficient. If you’re environmentally conscious (and we applaud you if you are), then you’d want to reduce your carbon footprint as much as possible.

Why are wooden windows such a great investment and what makes them so much better than uPVC windows?

What a lot of people don’t know is that wooden windows last a very long time, provided that they were installed properly and well maintained.

You don’t even have to go the extra mile or spend a lot money towards the upkeep of your newly installed sash windows or repaired originals. The occasional coat of paint will do when things are looking a little dull, but that’s pretty much all you would have to do.

Why? Because, like we mentioned before, wood manufacturers have extremely long warranties on their products. This means that should anything go wrong with your sash windows, the repairs that you would need would be covered by those warranties.

How can they do this? The technology that goes into wood treatment and preservation has advanced a lot throughout the years.

Wood doesn’t decay as quickly anymore with high quality preservatives and they’re less likely to lose their shape. So you’d be set for as long as you’re prepared to periodically paint them.

Now, since we’re going to be constructing in our little workshop instead of a huge industrial factory or restoring your sash windows onsite, not very many chemicals are involved and CO2 emissions are very minimal.

We can’t say the same about PVC windows. It would take about eight times more energy to produce one PVC window compared to a wooden one. That’s a pretty serious discrepancy.

There’s no excuse for people to think that PVC windows are more environmentally friendly because no tree-cutting is involved. Well, that’s not true at all. PVC windows are very hard to recycle. And since they don’t last as long as wooden sash windows, you’re more likely to have them replaced over and over again increasing the energy consumption a multiple of a multiple times over; quite a scary thought.

These faulty PVC windows that you’ve accumulated throughout the years would then be just non-biodegradable waste that will either take up a lot of space at your local landfill or pollute the ocean.

If you live in an area where there are a lot of period homes and you don’t want your house sticking out like a sore thumb, it would be unwise to switch to uPVC or aluminium sash windows. Keeping the original style of your abode and preserving it the way it was intended to look increases its marketability.

So if you intend to sell your home sometime in the future or you just want to make sure that your assets are always in great shape, then go for sash windows that are made from sturdy hardwood or have sash window repairs.

Potential buyers’ ears perk up at the mention of words such as double glazed timber sash because they look beautiful and are extremely elegant.

Wooden sash windows are also better at keeping your home insulated. This means that wood is much better at keeping warmth in and the keeping the cold out.

Obviously, with this extra help, you won’t have to turn up your central heating because your wooden sash windows keep the temperature within your home more stable when draught proofing systems installed.

Having wooden windows is more expensive, yes, but the investment will pay for itself in the long run.

We are experts when it comes to wooden sash windows. We know how to construct sash windows, with specific wood properties in mind matching details such as profiles and horns like for like should sash window repair not be possible.

When you trust us with your sash window renovation needs, we can guarantee you that we’ll use only the best quality materials and that we know how every single one of these materials behave under all types of conditions.

Give us a call today to find out more. We’re available for sash window repairs all over the London area.